In the upcoming legislative session in Texas, guns will be a point of discussion. Rep. George Lavender (R) will introduce a bill that would allow Texans who have a concealed handgun license the freedom to open-carry. According to the Dallas Morning News:

Lavender said he finds it ironic that freedom-loving Texas is one of just six states not to allow some form of open carry. The others are Illinois, New York, Arkansas, South Carolina and Florida. An open-carry law went into effect in Oklahoma on Nov. 1.

Lavender and other gun rights advocates argue that law-abiding citizens openly carrying pistols in public places pose a deterrent to criminals.

This is Texas, and we should be the leader, said Lavender, who was re-elected without opposition on Nov. 6. Support for his proposal, he said, is very wide and deep. I think we are fixing to get there.

Lavender unsuccessfully pushed an open-carry bill in the 2011 legislative session, but the measure never gained momentum. It failed to attract a Senate sponsor and died in committee.

I think we have a new day this time, he said.

Like his 2011 bill, the one he plans to introduce in the upcoming session would allow businesses and private property owners to post signs prohibiting firearms, he said. The current concealed-weapon law contains a similar provision.

Opponents said open carry has the potential to disturb the peace more than keep the peace.

Yesterday on KFYO, many listeners said they would like to freedom to chose, but would still carry their firearm concealed. What do you think about open-carry? If you have a CHL, what would you do? Let us know in todays KFYO Poll of the Day.

Open carry was originally banned by the carpetbagger government after the Civil war. They changed the Texas constitution to do it. Unfortunately, the new legislature, when they made the new constitution in 1876, lef in a clause allowing the legislature to regulate the carrying of arms in order to decrease crime, and the legislature, not wanting those uppity freed slaves to carry guns, banned open and concealed carry.

The reason I support open carry has nothing to do with the fact that I probably would never openly carry a gun. The point is that the cops sometimes arrest someone for accidentally letting their concealed gun be exposed.

While I think open carry should be a given, they would be better off implementing a no license concealed carry, such as Arizona, Vermont(of all states)and Alaska have. I believe those are the three states the do not require a permit to carry concealed. All 50 states should NOT require a permit to carry concealed or openly.

Printing is one reason. But I would like to be able to get up in the morning, put on my pants, drop my pocketknife and real silver dollar in my pocket and strap on my firearm before putting on my fuzzy bunny slippers and going to make coffee.

And not worry about it for the rest of the day.

I'm fortunate that the local constabulary sorta expects to see me with a firearm, and are cool with that... but Texas needs this law.

If Dewhurst or Straus block it.... that will be more of a political problem for them than they already expect.

I agree with you, concealed (or open) carry should be encouraged by the law instead of being allowed.

Still when I lived in Georgia, it was so easy (and cheap) to get a license that I could live with it quite happily.

They basically have to issue you a license unless you are a serial killer or something like that. The law needed a few kinks worked out and I have read that they indeed have corrected most of those minor points.

The reason I support open carry has nothing to do with the fact that I probably would never openly carry a gun. The point is that the cops sometimes arrest someone for accidentally letting their concealed gun be exposed

It seems to me that there is a need for gun etiquette, with some degree of formality.

That is, say you have CC or open carry, and you *want* to let one or more police know that you are armed, and that, based on the situation you want to temporarily disarm, but without frightening or agitating them.

Even under the old rules, it was both difficult and ritualized to take your gun from its holster, insure that it was safe, and hand it to someone else for inspection.

But such etiquette rules need a formal reintroduction, just so that everybody, citizens and LEOs, are on the “same sheet of music” again.

>>Generally speaking, concealed carry is better, but there might be times youd want to open carry. Plus it would keep you from getting in trouble for accidentally printing or exposing your sidearm.

This is the best reason for open carry. I wouldn’t want to do open carry in public, but I would like to see concealed carry laws changed to where you are only expected to cover the gun so that if the bottom of the holster is visible, the gun is still covered. Pancake holsters are soooooo much more comfortable than IWBs, especially when you get into middle age!

I have some sympathy for LEOs here, as they have to deal with a lot of dangerous basket cases. That is why I am in pursuit of etiquette, with the hope of achieving the following:

1) “Hey, I’m a good guy, not a threat, or the threat you are currently looking for.”

2) “I am armed, but not hostile, so no big deal. Do not add me or my gun to your stress level.”

3) (for example) “I need to secure my gun in my lock box, which requires I unholster it, and hold it in my hand while checking it for safety. I do not want to upset you while doing this. Also, I intend to do this in a safe manner, to avoid the chance of an accidental discharge.”

There are lots of hypotheticals, here, but etiquette rules only work if everybody knows them.

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